Certainties
Important Notice: Dr. Greg Jaroszynski does not perform partial knee replacements at this time. This information is provided for educational purposes only.
For appropriately selected patients, partial knee replacement has several potential advantages compared with total knee replacement.
Potential advantages
- Less invasive
- Lower complication rate
- Faster recovery
- Better function (ROM)
- Easier revision to a total knee prosthesis
What this means clinically
Compared with total knee replacement, partial knee replacement is a less invasive operation. The risk of complications is generally lower, although serious complications can still happen. Hospital stay and recovery time are often shorter.
The function of the knee after a successful partial replacement is often better than after total knee replacement, especially with respect to range of motion and a more natural knee feel. If a partial replacement fails, converting it to a primary total knee replacement is usually less complex than revising a failed total knee replacement.